The NCAA has upheld a 10-year show cause penalty against Donnie Tyndall for orchestrating academic fraud while he worked at the school, the attorney for the former Southern Mississippi basketball coach said on Wednesday.

Don Jackson wrote in a text message that there were “multiple justifications for overturning this decision” against his client, but that the NCAA’s ruling to uphold the penalties “is not entirely unexpected.” The 10-year show cause is one of the most severe individual penalties ever levied by the NCAA.

Tyndall had a 56-17 record over two seasons with Southern Miss, including two trips to the National Invitation Tournament quarterfinals. He left for Tennessee in 2014, where he was fired after one season after his involvement in the Southern Miss violations became clear.

The NCAA originally ruled on the case in April, saying in its report that Tyndall “acted unethically and failed to promote an atmosphere for compliance when he directed his staff to engage in academic misconduct” while coaching Southern Mississippi from 2012-14. Tyndall filed his appeal in June.

Southern Mississippi self-imposed a two-year postseason ban that took effect in 2015. The program is under probation until 2020 and lost several scholarships. Tyndall’s show cause penalty runs through 2026. Even if he is employed after that date, he must sit out 50 percent of his team’s first full season.

Tyndall is currently working as an assistant coach in the NBA Developmental League.